When it comes to crowdfunding, I tend to gravitate more towards single person or small group campaigns. After all, that’s what I feel Kickstarter was made for. But the pitch and reasoning behind seeking funds from fans needs to be evident. In the case of Lumbermancer, I have to say that it shows off what can happen if you don’t know how it all works. I want to like it, but there are just way too many problems with what’s being shown.
From my understanding, Lumbermancer is finished. Done. Doesn’t need funding. The one-man developer, as mentioned towards the bottom of the page, is running his campaign to “get the game into your hands for cheap, and a good excuse to make rewards and stuff”. That’s generally not what crowdfunding is used for. It’s not a “pre-order” system, but rather a way to get an idea off the ground.
His $15 goal is, as mentioned, for buying pizza. Yes, pizza. Not to finish off the development of the game but food.
Not only does Lumbermancer come off as a poor excuse to get the game in the hands of others, but the reward tiers prove that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. There are only three, with the highest capping at $25.
There’s a decent amount of physical goodies going in at $9 and $25. Pretty much all of the money, and then some, will go to just shipping and production costs. That said, I did love the video and it was hilarious, but the rest of the pitch had me wondering just what Roger Biersborn is thinking with this campaign.
